POKÉMON Red/Blue Manual

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Non-English Glyphs
or
Don't Poké me there!

Visit my discussion of the non-English glyphs problem here
if the above heading doesn't contain a character that looks like an "e" with an accent mark, or if you see box symbols or
"?" in the middle of non-English words. Try switching character set to UTF-8 to fix them. This page uses the upper- and lowercase letter e with
acute accent (like this: É and é) a lot!

Game Code: DMG P APAE (Red), DMG P APEE (Blue)
Released: 1998
Originally typed in (for Australian version) by Ben Kosmina
and found at World of Nintendo.
Modified to US version and web-ified by Pete Karsanow.
Manual code: U/DMG-APAE-USA-1 (Rev. K)Editorial comments are emphasized like this.

This is the Red (or Blue) version of Pokémon. There are other versions, too.
The story and characters are the same for all versions. The differences
between the versions are the type and probability of
Pokémon appearing.

To complete your collection, you will need to trade with a friend
who has another version.According to Nintendo, you can get at most only 139 of 151 types with a single color of cartridge, even with trading. You need to trade with the other color(s) to get the rest.

STORY

You are an 11-year old boy living in Pallet Town with your mother.
Your rival lives next door to you. You and your rival used to play
nicely together when you were little, but lately, he has become
mean. He sees you as his rival because you are the same age and
height. When you hear that Professor Oak is a Pokémon expert,
you get excited because you are a curious boy. You walk outside
of Pallet Town in search of Pokémon and you hear a
voice.

"Hey! Don't go into the grass!" It's Professor
Oak. "There are wild Pokémon living in
there." he says. "They can be very dangerous.

pictures of you/Ash and a SquirtleThe Australian version mentions that "you also get similar grades in school", and that Professor Oak is just learning about Pokémon (seeing as he only has 50 in his Pokédex…).
Anyway, lots of little changes between the US and Australian text.

If you possess trained Pokémon, you can let them fight against wild
ones."

Professor Oak takes you back to his lab where your rival is waiting.
Professor Oak invited him because he is Professor Oak's grandson.
Professor Oak instructs you: "There are 3 Pokémon here, so choose
the one you like! Now that you have a Pokémon, the rest is up to you…"

WORLD MAP

There are many ways to travel from
place to place. Use this map to help
you find where you're going.If I'm in copyright trouble with Nintendo, I may as well go all the way. But I promise that this map will be the only pages scanned and provided in total.

THE WORLD OF POKÉMON

I am Professor Oak. The document you are reading is the result of
many years of studying Pokémon. I strongly suggest that you read
this document thoroughly so you may become a Pokémon Master.appears in word balloon leading to Professor Oak picture

WHAT ARE POKÉMON?

There are more than 100 Pokémon in existence. The more they
fight, the more powerful they become. The Pokémon having only
simple attack techniques such as TACKLE or TAIL WHIP, gain
new, stronger techniques, like BITE or WATER GUN. Some
Pokémon evolve and change in appearance.

picture of Professor Oak
PROFESSOR OAK
He is the leading expert on
Pokémon. Listen to his wise
advice.

DEFEAT THE 8 POKÉMON LEADERS

In the world of Pokémon, there are many Pokémon Trainers
who raise Pokémon for fighting. Only 8 of these trainers are
considered to be Pokémon Leaders. You can find these leaders
hanging out at local gyms, training their Pokémon to
become stronger.

These leaders are waiting for anyone who wants to
challenge them. In order to complete your Pokédex, you must
fight these leaders.screen shot of start of fight with Brock

COMPLETE YOUR POKÉDEX

Your goal is to capture one of every Pokémon in the world to
become a true Pokémon Master.

To reach this goal, all of your findings must be recorded in your
electronic encyclopedia called a Pokédex. All of the Pokémon
data you find will be automatically recorded in your Pokédex.
To catch Pokémon, you will need Poké Balls which you may
purchase from Poké Marts in most towns and cities. You will also
need to trade Pokémon with friends who have a different
version in order to complete your Pokédex.screen shot of a partially complete Pokédex

GETTING STARTED

On the Title screen, press either the A Button
or START, and an options screen will appear.
Use +Control Pad to select and the A
Button to confirm.screen shots of title screen and "Continue/New Game/Option" screen

New Game

This option lets you play the game from the beginning. Register the
names of your character and rival. Choose from the available names, or
choose the New Name option to create your own. Select letters using
the +Control Pad and confirm with the A Button. If you make a mistake,
you can erase the letters one by one using the B Button.screen shot of name selection screen

Continue

If you have saved a previous game, the Continue option will be added
to the Menu screen so you will be able to continue from the last time
you saved.screen shot of saved game load confirmation screen

Option

HOW TO ERASE A FILE

MENU SCREEN

While moving in the world, press START to display the Menu screen. On
the Menu screen, you can select seven commands.screen shot of the 7 commands done while in Pallet Town

POKÉDEX
The 'Pokédex' command lets you view information on any Pokémon you
see or capture.

Data
Select Data to view information
about a Pokémon you have
captured.

Cry
Select Cry to hear a Pokémon crying.

Area
Select Area to view places where a
Pokémon has been sighted.

Quit
Select Quit to return to the Menu screen.

screen shots of a rather empty Pokédex, the first page of the Squirtle entry, and the Area map for Caterpie.
If you have only seen (not captured) a Pokémon, the data won't be displayed.
The Cry is a battle call rather than them actually crying in sadness.
Area shows a map with blinking symbols and where you are, or "Area Unknown".
Pokémon that aren't in your color cartridge or must be traded will be "Area Unknown".
Use the "<" and ">" on the +Control Pad to page up and down in the Pokédex.

POKÉMON
The Pokémon command displays the status
of the Pokémon you currently have in your
possession. You may carry only 6 Pokémon
at a time.screen shots of 1. choose from 6 Pokémon, 2. Pikachu first status screen,
3. Pikachu second status screen, connected by arrows

Stats

ATTACK

Pokémon's attack power.

DEFENSE

Pokémon's defense power.

SPEED

Pokémon's speed.

SPECIAL

Pokémon's special power.

TYPE

Genetic class of Pokémon.

HP

Pokémon's health. When it's 0, it can't fight.

PP

Power Points.

OT

Name of the Original Trainer.

ID NO.

ID number determined at the start.

More is better. High SPEED usually lets a Pokémon attack first.
HP are hit points or health points. At 0, they Faint (FNT) rather than die.
ID is how the game tells if a Pokémon has been traded.

Switch
Rearrange the order of your Pokémon. When you encounter enemy
Pokémon, the one on top of your list will fight first. You may want
to rearrange the order so your strongest Pokémon, or the one you want
to train, is on top of the list.screen shot of a Switch command

ITEM
The Item command displays a list of items that you have
collected. You may carry up to twenty items at a time.screen shot of the Use/Toss choice
Actually, 20 types of items. Say 27 Poké Balls, and one each of TM01 through TM19. If you have too many, you can't get anything of a new type.

Use
Select this to use the
highlighted item.

Toss
Select this to throw away
the highlighted item.

NAME
This command will display
your name, amount of money,
number of badges, and time
spent playing the game.screen shot of the Name display

SAVE
This command lets you
save your progress. When
you continue, you will
resume playing from
where you last saved
your game.screen shot of the SAVE Yes/No choice
You have only ONE save slot. You can save the game anywhere except in battle,
so save frequently!

OPTION
Select Option to view a list of game play options. You will be able to
change to your liking the speed of the text, the battle animation and
the style of battle.screen shot of the option controls

Text Speed
This changes message text speed to three different levels.Fast, medium or slow. Unless you want to wait for messages to display, select
"fast," since text won't scroll until you press the A button anyway.

Battle Animation
Turn the animation during a fight to ON or OFF.screen shot of Squirtle using BUBBLE on Diglett
Battle Animation is a display of the attack selected,
e.g. 'Bubble' attack will show a stream of bubbles
hitting your opponent.

Battle Style
Select the rules of the game as they relate to fighting
Pokémon Trainers.

SHIFT
After defeating an opponent's Pokémon, you
can switch to another Pokémon in your
current group.Use SHIFT to make things easier.

SET
In this mode, even if you defeat your opponent's
Pokémon, you must use the same
Pokémon to continue fighting.

Select CANCEL at the bottom of the Options screen to return to the game.

LET'S BEGIN

PALLET TOWN

Your quest to become a Pokémon Master begins here.
Explore the town before heading North. After leaving
your house, go visit your rival and Professor Oak.map of Pallet Town - maybe I'll scan it in so the numbers make sense

Talk to everyone you see. People will help you along the way, so don't miss anything.screen shot of talking to someone

Your Home
Where you live. You and your rival grew up
playing together and had a great friendship
until he became competitive
and mean.screen shot of getting a Potion from your computer
These 3 are keyed to a map of Pallet Town.

Your Rival's Home
Your rival lives here. Since you were once great
friends, maybe there's a chance you two can
work things out.Nope. But talk to his sister anyway.
screen shot of talking to your rival's sister

Professor Oak
You need to find Professor Oak, but he's not
in his lab. As you try to leave town, Professor
Oak stops you "Hey! Wait! Don't go out!" Soon
enough, you're standing in Professor Oak's
Lab.screen shots of Oak stopping you, and having choice of 3 Pokémon

SELECT YOUR POKÉMON

Professor Oak will let you choose 1 of 3
Pokémon. Choose wisely, the Pokémon you
select determines the difficulty of your
game. Read OAK'S MEMO below for a tip.pictures of the 3 choices: Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander. screen shot of confirming choice of Bulbasaur

OAK'S MEMO

First-time players: Start with Bulbasaur, the Grass-type
Pokémon; these are more successful attacking Rock-type
Pokémon.This was next in the Australian transcription: "The first boss uses Rock Pokémon."
Anyway, whatever you choose your rival will pick the type with a natural advantage over yours.
Your first combat will probably be a loss to your rival unless you're very lucky or use that Potion from your computer.
It doesn't matter much if you win though, the story still proceeds the same.
It's nice to have the extra money and experience though…

ROUTE #1

DANGER! WILD POKÉMON
You will travel North into the grassy area
where, you will run into many Wild Pokémon."Wild" just means you can capture them (later, when you have Poké Balls).
Each map has a different selection of Pokémon lurking, their levels tend to rise as you proceed through the game.
Spend the time to raise your Pokémon levels so you can easily defeat what's around.
Route 1 is one of the few maps where you must walk through the grass.

map of Route 1 - I may scan this in, but there are no marked items on this map

Walk around in the
grassy areas. You
will find Wild
Pokémon.screen shot of walking in the grass just north of Pallet Town, but with strange colors

RATTATA
Attacks with a vicious bite.
Small and very quick, it is a
common sight in many places.Something like the Pokédex entry, with a picture of Rattata. Yes, it's found on Route 1.

PIDGEY
A common sight in forests
and woods. It flaps its
wings at ground level to
kick up blinding sand.Just like the Rattata section above, with a picture of Pidgey. It's found on Route 1 too.

OAK'S MEMO
At this point you will not be able to capture a Wild Pokémon. You can
only fight for experience points. When you get to Viridian City, you
may purchase Poké Balls at the Poké Mart.Actually, you need to go to Viridian City once to get Oak's Parcel, bring it back, he gives you the Pokédex, and then you go back to Viridian City. Now you can buy stuff!

VIRIDIAN CITY

map of Viridian City - maybe I'll scan it in so the numbers make sense

Viridian GYM
You can't get in here yet
because it's closed.Come back here much much later.

Poké Mart

ITEM LIST

Poké Ball

200

Antidote

100

Paralyz Heal

200

Burn Heal

250

OAK'S MEMO
The shopkeeper will have a package
for me, which I am expecting back at
the Lab.screen shot of you getting OAK'S PARCEL
Take Oak's Parcel back to Oak's Lab in Pallet Town. You can't really proceed in the game without doing this.

Pokémon Center
Here, you may recover the HP and PP of your Pokémon for free. You
can also deposit or withdraw your Pokémon and items using the
personal computer. When you deposit Pokémon, you can place twenty of
them in a single box. (There are a total of
twelve boxes.) Also, your PC is connected to
Oak's Lab, so he can evaluate your Pokédex.
Check out the Link Cable Club where you can
trade Pokémon or battle your friends.
See page 35 [sic, really page 36]screen shot of Pokémon about to be healed

ACCESS COMPUTER

Someone's Computer

Access this computer to deposit or withdraw Pokémon. You may
carry up to 6 at a time. You may organize your Pokémon in
separate boxes. For example, you may want to store similar types
in the same box. Note: Someone's PC will be known as Bill's PC
later in the game.You'll find Bill, don't worry. Each box can hold up to 20 Pokémon.screen shots of the computer choice and the Pokémon Storage System menu

Your Computer

Access your computer to deposit or withdraw Items. You may carry up to twenty at a
time.20 types, not itemsscreen shot of item storage menu

Prof. Oak's Computer

Access Oak's computer to receive Professor Oak's rating of your progress.Basically, how many Pokémon you have in the "Own" category of your Pokédex. When you reach certain values, Oak will tell you to go ask one of his Aides (they're all over the place) for a bonus.screen shot of the Pokédex rating Yes/No choice

ROUTE #2

Route #2 is between Viridian City and Pewter City. Be careful,
this road travels through the Viridian Forest which has
stronger Pokémon lurking about. Make sure you've built your
Pokémon levels up before traveling here.map of Route 2 - I may scan this in, but there are no marked items on this map

Give the parcel to
Professor Oak and he
will give you a Pokédex
in return.screen shot of you getting Pokédex

You can see items on the other
side of these trees. How do
you get them? You'll have to
come back later.screen shot of you standing near strange bush (the kind that can be CUT) on Route #2

CATERPIE
With short feet tipped with
suction pads, Caterpie climbs
slopes and walls effortlessly.Just like the Rattata section above, with a picture of Caterpie. It's found in the grass on Route #2.

USE THE POKÉ BALL
You will need to use Poké Balls to capture Wild
Pokémon. It will work best if you get its energy
down as far as possible, but not all the way.
Try a Pokémon who has the ability to put the
Wild Pokémon to sleep. Once its sleeping, throw
a Poké Ball to capture it.

WEEDLE
Often found in forests
eating leaves. It has a sharp
venomous stinger on its
head.Just like the Rattata section above, with a picture of Weedle. It's found in the grass on Route #2.

Sad ASCII graphics, I know. The alternative is to scan the page. Anyway, "energy" seems to be HP, as the "YES" section has a highlight around the reduced HP of the Pidgey in that case.

OAK'S MEMO
As you play, the Wild Pokémon you meet will get stronger.
You may need to throw more than one Poké Ball to capture them.You may have to throw multiple Great Balls or even Ultra Balls to get the toughest Pokémon.

VIRIDIAN FOREST

The Viridian Forest is full of danger as
Wild Pokémon lurk in the grassy areas.
You will also find plenty of other
Pokémon Trainers here. This is a great
area to practice your fighting skills.And pick up the rare Pikachu!

KAKUNA
Almost incapable of moving,
Kakuna's only defense from
predators is to harden its shell.Yes, another one. Kakuna is found in Viridian Forest, but you're better off getting the Weedle instead and letting it evolve.

Pokémon Trainer
When you battle other Pokémon Trainers, you earn money
and your Pokémon gain experience points. A Pokémon
Trainer may have 1 to 6 trained Pokémon, so it's a good idea
for you to have 6. You will not be able to capture Pokémon
from other Pokémon Trainers.Try it, and you waste the Poké Ball.screen shots of you fighting a BUG CATCHER trainer and winning P$60 for beating both of his Bug Pokémon

METAPOD
When its shell is soft,
Metapod's weak and tender
body is vulnerable.Another one found in Viridian Forest. Like Kakuna, all it knows is HARDEN, so you're better off getting Caterpie instead and letting it evolve.

OAK'S MEMO
If you have collected 6
Pokémon, raise their
levels evenly. Let each
of your Pokémon have a
turn in battle. Also, you may want to
collect 6 different types of Pokémon.screen shot showing six Pokémon held, all at level 7: Squirtle, Pidgey, Pikachu, Kakuna, Rattata and Metapod

PIKACHU
When several of these
Pokémon gather, their
electricity builds and can
cause lightning storms.A rare one found in Viridian Forest. Insufferably cute, but able to rip through Flying-type Pokémon like nobody's business.

Pewter Gym
You will have to fight against another trainer in this gym before you
fight Brock. It will be helpful if you bring some Potions.Read the hints, and you won't need them. My hint: Bulbasaur gets Vine Whip at Level 13.screen shot of you being stopped by a trainer on the way to BrockThese 4 are keyed to the map of Pewter City.

VS. 1st LEADER/BROCK
Brock uses Rock-type Pokémon. You will have
an easier time defeating him with Grass- or
Water-type Pokémon.screen shot of start of Brock fight

Defeat Brock to get the
Boulder Badge.

BROCK'S POKÉMON

GEODUDE

LV 12

ONIX

LV 14

OAK'S MEMO
Fire-type Pokémon need higher experience levels than other
types when battling Brock's Rock-type Pokémon.He's talking about Charmander. You'll have tough going with that one at first, unless you trade the other starting Pokémon from another GameBoy.

THE ADVENTURE GOES ON…

There is so much more than what has been described in the
previous pages. You must talk to all of the people that you
find throughout your quest to become the world's greatest
Pokémon Trainer.screen shot on Route 3 near entrance to Mt. Moon

Game Corner
They say that the Team Rocket has something to do with this gaming
area. Check it out.Can buy some rare Pokémon here with coins won at the slot machines, and it's the entrance to an area with lots of Trainers to fight.screen shot of you at Rocket Game Corner with P$278,017 and 0 coins

Safari Zone
This is a great place to
capture Pokémon. You
definitely get what you pay
for.screen shot of you entering Safari Zone

Fishing
There are three different rods that allow
you to catch many different water
Pokémon. Fish everywhere.screen shot of you fishing

Day Care Center
The Pokémon Daycare Center will
watch one of your Pokémon and raise
its level while you're away.It goes up 1 experience for each step you take, and you pay P$100 for each level it gains.screen shot of you at Day Care

"a little" means +1.
You need the badge to be able to use the technique from the HM outside of combat. Without the badge, you can still use the HM on a Pokémon but can only use the technique in combat. See the next page for HMs.
You only have to worry about Pokémon traded to you not obeying. Pokémon that you catch always obey you. The Earth Badge means any level, not ALL Pokémon everywhere.a little picture of each leader appears under their heading, in the game (NAME command) you see see either this picture or a picture of the badge

HINTS

OAK'S MEMO
You will find many interesting things during your quest. On the next
couple of pages, I have recorded some things I believe will make your
quest more enjoyable.

How to Use a Pokémon Box
There are twelve boxes in which you may store Pokémon.
Newly captured Pokémon will be stored in the currently
selected box. When a box is full, you must change boxes.Latest capture is at the top of the box. Ones with anything in them have a little "ball" symbol next to the number.screen shot of the box selection choice

If Your Pokémon Box is Full
If your Pokémon Box is full, you will not be able to keep Pokémon that you capture. You need to access the computer in a Pokémon Center and
change to a box that is not full.screen shot of "the box is full" message

Hidden Machine
Sometimes, you will get a Hidden Machine instead of a Technical Machine.
It works similar to a Technical Machine, but you can use a Hidden Machine
as many times as you want. Also, the skills learned from this machine can
be used while moving in the world. For instance, you can CUT a tree blocking
the road by using an ability called CUT, or swim in the water by using a
ability called SURF.Not explained well, is it?
Hidden Machines and Technical Machines provide new, better moves that your Pokémon can learn.
TMs can only be used on one Pokémon once, and then they disappear.
But HMs can be used multiple times on Pokémon.
In addition, you can use the moves from HMs while moving around the world.
But, HMs can only be used on the world once you get the badge that lets you.
An example of this is that you can't use CUT until Misty gives you the Cascade Badge. Hope that helps.

How to Arrange Items
First open ITEM on the Menu screen. Move the cursor (using the +Control
Pad) to the item you want to move, then press SELECT. Next, move the
cursor to where you want the item to be moved using the +Control Pad, and
press SELECT.Works on items stored in the computer too!screen shot showing arrangement arrows

You can arrange the
abilities during the
fight the same way.screen shot showing arrangement arrows during a battle

Change Pokémon Names
There is only one place where you may change the nicknames of
your Pokémon. When you find this place, make sure you
remember where it is.Trust me, it's not hard to find. But you can't change nicknames of Pokémon that you got in a trade, no matter how sad they are.

Stop Evolution!
When your Pokémon start to evolve,
you may stop the process. Press the
B Button when the screen shows the
Pokémon changing form, like in the
screen shot to the right.This is useful for Pokémon that evolve from going up in level.
Sometimes they get better attacks at a much lower level without evolving, although their statistics are higher in the evolved form.
Each time it goes up a level, it will try to evolve again.
Stopping the evolution of a Pokémon that evolves through trading or the use of a stone isn't very smart; why did you do that then?screen shot showing "Weedle stopped evolving!"

COLLECT POKÉMON

OAK'S MEMO
You may collect Pokémon in many different ways. Please study these
pages to learn how you can collect Pokémon.

GET 1: WILD POKÉMON

Many of the Pokémon you'll collect can be found in wild
places: in the grass, in caves, water, etc.screen shot of a wild Caterpie appearingThis is how "spare" Pokémon for trading are best obtained. Except for rarity (shows up only a few percent of the time), you can get as many as you want this way.

GET 2: EVENT

You can collect some Pokémon through special events; win
one as a prize in the Game Corner; get one by helping a
stranger; or capture them at the Safari Zone.This includes just finding a ball with a Pokémon inside on a table in a building, and taking it. That's how you get Eevee.

GET 3: LINK

In a Pokémon Center, you can link your Game Boy system to a friend's
Game Boy system and trade Pokémon between the 2 Game Paks.
Some Pokémon will evolve when you trade them. Also, some Pokémon
won't appear in your version of the game, so you must trade with
a friend who has a different version in order to complete your
collection.There is also trading inside the game, a combination of EVENT and LINK. Traders will ask for a particular type in return for another type. You can get only one this way though.
Hint: Think carefully before you buy a Magikarp!

RARE POKÉMON

In each game there is a Pokémon
that appears only once. If you do
not capture it the
first time, you will
not have the chance to
capture it again.Actually, several types appear only once. But NOT the Zubat and Kadabra whose pictures are shown here on this page. Save often, and read a walkthrough so you know which ones are unique!

EVOLUTION POKÉMON

Many Pokémon evolve when their experience level
increases. In the screen shots below, we see Weedle
evolving into Kakuna. Train all your Pokémon to higher
levels and discover the ones that evolve.

OAK'S MEMO
You need to think about the types of Pokémon you are battling against.
Choosing the appropriate type of Pokémon can make a big difference
in your success.

TYPES OF POKÉMON

There are many different types of Pokémon. Each type of Pokémon has
strengths and weaknesses against different types. It's like a large scale
version of the game, Rock, Paper, Scissors. Rock is stronger than scissors,
scissors are stronger than paper and paper is stronger than
rock.screen shots of Weedle vs. Caterpie "super effective", and Pikachu vs. Pikachu "not very effective"

Some Pokémon have two types.screen shot of Kakuna, which is Bug and Poison

----- FIRE <-----
| |
\/ |
GRASS ---------> WATER

pictures of the 3 initial Pokémon Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle with this, and much nicer arrows in a triangle formation

POKÉMON TYPE CHART

The attacker is on the left, the defender is on the top. I would normally give somebody else credit for this image, but I not only forgot where I found it, I had to fix several errors in the original.
According to a 3rd-party Pokémon guide book that I bought, the secondary types of the Pokémon are also significant, and there is a bonus if the attack type is the same as the Pokémon type.
So use the above chart just as a starting point.

BATTLE SCREEN

OAK'S MEMO
Many areas have the same types of Pokémon. You are wise to match
your Pokémon according to their strengths against an opponent.

During battle there are 4 menu options. You
may select FGHT, PKMN, ITEM and RUN.screen shot of the start of a Trainer fight

FGHT "Fight"
This displays the abilities of the
Pokémon. Select the one you want to use
and attack.screen shot of Squirtle about to FIGHT Diglett

PKMN "Pokémon"
Use this to select a different Pokémon. Choose the one you
want and press the A Button. It takes 1 turn for the
exchange to happen. If you want to only view the status of
your Pokémon, you can use this without wasting a turn.

ITEM
Use an item from your inventory. Select the item you wish to
use, then select the Pokémon you wish to use that Item on.

RUN
Use it to escape from a battle.

Enemy Pokémonscreen shot of Squirtle about to use Bubble on DiglettA box around the HP (energy) bar for the enemy Digglet, which has no numbers but does list the enemy level and type (e.g. Diglett :L11).
This is in the top left corner during a battle, while the image of the enemy is in the center right.
The back of your Pokémon is shown in the bottom left, with its own level and HP (with actual numbers) shown in the bottom right of the battle part of the screen.PP
Power Points tell you
how many times you may
use an ability.PP has an arrow pointing to the "30/30" for Bubble. First number is how many uses are left, second number is maximum uses. More powerful attacks usually have fewer PP.
If all PP are used up, a Pokémon can always use "Struggle" but that's pretty pathetic.

WHO'S FIRST

When the fight begins, the Pokémon on top of the list will go
first. If you win the fight, all of the Pokémon who participated
will receive experience points.Leads to the cheap move of putting a Pokémon you want to gain experience on top.
First round, switch to the one that actually fights.
Both gain experience, but only half each minus one or so.
Late in the play of the game, you can get the "Exp. All" item, which shares experience among all (usually 6) Pokémon you have with you.

LEVEL UP

Pokémon gain experience points by fighting. If
they receive enough experience points, their level
will increase. They may learn new abilities or even
evolve when their levels increase.two screen shots of a Caterpie that should differ in level but don't; one has higher HP, Defense and Speed though - guess Nintendo goofed!

TRY TO LINK

Pokémon that you get by trading with a
friend will grow faster than those not
traded. It is definitely worth your while to
trade your Pokémon with others.Traded Pokémon (you aren't the original trainer) get a 50% bonus to experience. Some say that traded Pokémon will have lower stats for their level than those that weren't traded; I haven't verified this.
The game box mentions that you can get at most 139 types with a single version, you need to trade with a different version to get them all.

GAME OVER

When all of your Pokémon have fainted, your game is over. Your Pokémon will be taken to the
last Pokémon Center you used and half of your money will be gone.Obviously, it's not a good idea to let this happen. Try to RUN first. Quit and load your saved game, and learn from your mistakes.

GAME LINK® CABLE

OAK'S MEMO
You can trade Pokémon or battle your friends by using the Game
Link® Cable (sold separately). Connect the Link Cable to 2 Game
Boy systems. On the Mode Select screen, choose CONTINUE.

CAUTION
Do not connect the Game Link Cable to a Game Boy system containing a different language
version of Pokémon. Doing so may cause the loss of your saved game data.

STEP 1

Heal all your Pokémon before linking
with a friend. Then, both players need
to talk to the receptionist in the Link
Cable Club at the same time.screen shot of that receptionist, in the same place in every Poké Center

STEP 2

Both players need to Save before
entering the Cable Club.screen shot of the save confirmation

STEP 3

Select Trade Center to trade Pokémon
with a friend; or select Colosseum to
fight against a friend. Press the A Button
to confirm.screen shot of the Trade Center/Colosseum/Cancel choiceTRADE CENTER -- STEP 4COLOSSEUM -- STEP 9 [sic, really step 1]

TRADE CENTER

STEP 4

At the Trade Center, face the center of the
table and press the A Button.screen shot of you and friend at the table

Review Pokémon Info
Press the A Button, and the screen to the right
will appear. If you want to view your Pokémon
data, select STATS and press the A Button. If
you want to view your friend's Pokémon data,
select the Pokémon and press the A Button.screen shot of lists of Pokémon held by both, and status for one Pokémon

STEP 5

Move the cursor to the
Pokémon you want to trade
away and press the A Button.screen shot of arrows pointing at Wartortle and Trade

STEP 6

"Waiting…!" will appear
on your screen.screen shot of the Waiting message

STEP 7

You will be asked if you want to trade
your Pokémon for your friend's Pokémon.
Select TRADE to confirm the deal. If you
don't like the
Pokémon your
friend selected,
you can cancel.3 screen shots: 1. "Bulbasaur will be traded" trade confirmation, 2. & 3. Pokémon moving from one Game Boy to another.

STEP 8

After the trade is done, you may return to the Trade
Center. Press START and choose RESET; you will return to
the Title Screen.nonsensical screen shot that shows lists as if trades were repeated to return Pokémon to their original owners

OAK'S MEMO
A traded Pokémon may be one of the Pokémon you want to play with.
However, if your badge doesn't match the level of the Pokémon, the
Pokémon can't be controlled. Pokémon you receive via a Link Cable will
grow faster and may evolve differently. Try to trade often.

COLOSSEUM

STEP 1

When you select COLOSSEUM, you will be taken to a room with a table.
Face the center table and press A Button to start a fight.screen shot of the Trade Center/Colosseum/Cancel choice

STEP 2

Just before the battle, the number of Pokémon
each player has is displayed. Battle results will
also be displayed.3 screen shots: 1. "vs." screen with names and Pokémon identified only as balls, 2. a Pokémon combat, 3. another "vs." screen with results shown as balls in various colors to indicate Pokémon status

FGHT: Select the ability and fight.

PKMN: You can change your Pokémon.

ITEM: You can not use Item.

RUN: Press RUN and you will lose.

OAK'S MEMO
Lastly, I'll show you some of my Pokédex! I hope these will help your adventure…

Shown in manual as 12 per page, 4 columns by 3 rows per page.
? represents a Pokémon not shown in manual.
No.029 uses a Greek "male" symbol (circle with + below).
No.032 uses a Greek "female" symbol (circle with upward arrow above).
Page 56 has only 2 columns of 3, but (HINT) it should have a space for "No.151".

IMPORTANTThe Australian version had here 2 pages with an empty list for the 12 boxes to write all the Pokemon you have stored in each one.
The US one has a bunch of warnings and ads from here to the end, with warranty information on page 58.